


I Really, Really Like You

by QueenOfNewOrleans22



Category: Bon Jovi (Band)
Genre: Fluff, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Love Confessions, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-02
Updated: 2020-12-02
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:49:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,319
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27829258
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/QueenOfNewOrleans22/pseuds/QueenOfNewOrleans22
Summary: "Have you ever met somebody, who you would do anything for?" Richie said.It took a long moment, but Tico nodded. "Yeah." He replied."Who?" Richie asked.Tico looked solemn. "My mom."
Relationships: Jon Bon Jovi/Richie Sambora
Comments: 6
Kudos: 22





	I Really, Really Like You

**Author's Note:**

> Rest In Peace Nicholas 'Razzle' Dingley - You will forever be missed, and never be forgotten.

"Have you ever met somebody, who you would do anything for?" Richie said. 

It took a long moment, but Tico nodded. "Yeah." He replied. 

"Who?" Richie asked. 

Tico looked solemn. "My mom." 

A few minutes of silence passed as the answer sunk in, like a ship slowly sinking into the icy water, and then Richie frowned. "Not in _that_ way." He said, rolling his eyes at the answer. "Like, romantically." Richie waved his hand in the air, as if to put emphasis on his words. 

"Oh." Tico sighed, leaning back in his chair, puffing lazily on his cigarette. "Well, I guess I would've done anything for my ex-wife." He said, looking up at the ceiling in such a way that suggested he was pondering those words. 

Richie furrowed his eyebrows. "You 'guess'?" He repeated. 

"Yeah. I don't think we were fully invested in each other like we should've been, I think it was more of a marriage of lust than a marriage of love." Tico said. 

"Really?" Richie played with his fingers, his eyes lingering on the calluses that the guitar strings had left on his skin. "How can you tell what's lust and what's love?"

"Okay, _why_ in the hell do you want to know that?" Tico leaned foward, his dark eyes narrowed in a squint, as if the smoke pluming from his cigarette was inhibiting his eyesight. "You're young, Richie. And probably won't get married anytime soon. What's wrong with lusting over somebody?" He shrugged, as if that would be an answer to his own question. 

Richie debated a response, looking down at the floor, suddenly anxious in the face of reality. He also felt embarrassed, as if caught with his hand in the cookie jar with his mother staring accusing at him. "Well..." He trailed off, unsure of what to say. "I think I'm in love. But the person that I think I'm in love with is really attractive, and - yeah, I just don't know." 

"Mhm. Well." Tico licked his lips in thought, frowning. "You did just ask me about whether or not I had ever met somebody who I'd do anything for. Does that mean you would do anything for this person?" He asked. 

"Definitely." Richie nodded eagerly. 

"That's more love than lust." Tico said. "How long have you known this person?" 

Richie fell silent as he thought about that. "Seven years, give or take." 

"Jesus." Tico breathed through his teeth. "That's crazy, man. How long have you had feelings for them?" 

"Five." Richie whispered. 

The shock was clear and evident on Tico's face. "Five goddamn years?" He shook his head in disbelief. "That's amazing. It must be someone special, because you usually fuck anything with legs." 

Richie scoffed. "I do _not."_

"Yes, you do." Tico said. 

"Whatever." Richie waved the response away, as if it was nothing but an unusually pesky fly. "But, yeah. It is someone really special." He smiled at the thoughts that came with that, about dirty blonde hair and bright blue eyes that shined in the light of the sun. 

Tico smiled, a rare twist of his lips. "I knew it." He chuckled, leaning back and crossing his legs at the knee. "I fuckin' knew it." 

"Knew what?" Richie suddenly felt confused, and somewhat concerned. 

"Nothing, just that your mind is elsewhere." Tico was fighting back a smile, and hid it behind his cigarette. "Alright, you want some advice from good ol' uncle? I'll give you some." His leg wouldn't stop fidgeting, as if he was anxious, too, but he looked overwhelmed with joy, like a kid at Christmas morning. "Don't hesitate, my friend. Don't let your fears overwhelm you, otherwise you won't say a damn thing and it'll ruin everything. I've said this once, and I'll say it again - love is always worth a risk." 

Richie was even more confused, now. "What are you on?" He wondered when the last time the Crüe visited was, because Tico sounded like he was on the good stuff. 

Nonetheless, Tico rolled his eyes. "None of you ever take me seriously. I swear to everything that's holy - you can't beat around the bush! Otherwise, the other person is gonna go, 'oh! Richie doesn't care about me like that!' And go on with his - _THEIR_ life!" He turned around, shaking his head. "Five goddamn years. Try all seven." 

" _Whaaattt?"_ Richie felt like he was in a different universe. 

"You're all gonna drive me insane." Tico rubbed the bridge of his nose. 

"We're gonna drive _you_ insane?!" Richie laughed incredulously. "You're talking in riddles! Are you on something, man?" 

"Is _who_ on _what?"_ Jon appeared like a bat from hell, lips quirked into a speculative little frown. He glanced at Richie (and his gaze lingered), before he then looked at where Tico stood near the railing of the balcony. "I thought you quit." He said. 

Tico scoffed. "No dice." He bent down, grabbed his book that he'd been skimming through, and started to walk back inside. But just as he passed by Jon, he grabbed the younger man by the shoulders, leaned in, and whispered something in his ear. 

Richie wasn't close enough to hear what was being said, but Jon's cheeks flushed a deep, dark red, and he nodded awkwardly. 

Quickly, as if he couldn't wait to leave the conversation, Tico quickly stepped back inside, shutting the sliding glass door behind him in a way that seemed oddly purposeful. 

A few moments passed, with the awkwardness so thick that it was almost audible. Richie cleared his throat and sunk into his chair, suddenly aware of how precarious the situation at hand was. One word could make or break everything that they'd both worked so hard for, and Richie knew that he had to tread carefully. 

"So, you, uh - come here often?" Richie smiled weakly. 

Jon snickered. "Only on the weekdays." He slowly meandered over and dropped into the chair that Tico had vacated a few moments previous. "So, what were you two talkin' about?" He asked. 

"The band. You know, music and stuff." Richie splayed his fingers. "We were talking about drum technique." 

"Huh?" Jon looked dubious. 

"Yeah." Richie mimed drumming, hitting invisible drums in the air. "The usual." 

Jon made a face and nodded, probably seeing through the lie, but, thankfully, not saying anything, and only looking out towards the sunset. "You haven't been acting like yourself lately." He said quietly. 

Richie's heart dropped. "How so?" He asked. 

"You're not usually so quiet." Jon said. "In fact, you're not usually quiet at all." 

The words carried so much more weight than they should've, and Richie fought back a lurch of fear as he remembered what Tico had said with so much conviction. ' _It's now or never.'_ Richie thought, taking a deep breathe that shuddered on the way out. "Well, the reason is because - I like you, Jon." 

Jon nodded, a small smile forming. "Well, I like you too, buddy." 

"No." Richie shook his head. "No, I really, really, _really_ like you." 

"Yup." Jon said. "I really, really, _really_ like you, too." 

For a moment, Richie opened his mouth and was about to elaborate that the like he was feeling for Jon was way beyond the usual liking that people had for their best friends, but then it dawned on him, and, beyond the initial incredulity, he slowly smiled. "You do?" 

"Yup." Jon said. "For the past seven years of my life, I have really liked you." 

"Oh." Richie wasn't sure what to make of that, but then he remembered what Tico had said, and that moment in which the drummer had whispered something lowly to Jon, and all of the puzzle pieces fell into place. " _Ohhh-hhh."_ Richie grinned. "So, does that mean I can kiss you?" 

"Rich, I've been waiting seven years for this moment." Jon said. "If I ever stop kissing you for the next seven, then there's something wrong with me." 


End file.
